The Duo for Violin and Cello No. 1 was written in January 1927, only three years and several months after Bohuslav Martinů had left Prague for Paris, to study there with Albert Roussel. Even though by then the catalogue of his works comprised no fewer than 150 compositions, it was not until that particular stage in his career that Martinů found his own path to an authentic modern compositional idiom. The Duo for Violin and Cello No. 1 was commissioned by two of the composer's friends from Prague, violinist Stanislav Novak and cellist Maurits Frank, protagonists of the Novak-Frank Quartet. Characteristic features of this two-part opus include in its opening movement, denoted Praeludium , the composer's resort to free tonality and polyphonic leading of parts, which results in abundant dissonances. In the second movement, a Rondo, this is compounded by the employment of rhythms, melodic turns, and harmonies typical for the 1920s jazz music. The virtuosity of both cadences here bears obvious signs of inspiration by Ravel's Tzigane.
Aleš Březina, Czech String Duo, © 2002 Music Vars